


Seeking Utopia

by ScarlettSiren



Series: Nōmenclātūra [2]
Category: ATEEZ (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M, Minor Violence, Polyamory, Prequel, Sequel, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:07:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21767002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettSiren/pseuds/ScarlettSiren
Summary: Eden was a hunter, one of the very first given official license by the Bureau of Human-Vampire Affairs to put down vampires found guilty of breaking the laws of the Accords. Surely there had been hunters before him, ones working in the very shadows their enemies had lurked within for decades. Centuries, even. Surely he was not the first, but hewasthe first to cross the path of Park Seonghwa.Park Seonghwa, who was the first vampire who did not immediately attempt to kill him.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa/Kim Yonghwan | Eden
Series: Nōmenclātūra [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1344856
Comments: 31
Kudos: 327
Collections: Collection - Another Name for the Devil, The K-Pop Storybook, The Writings on the Wall





	Seeking Utopia

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my friends. I am sure you have noticed by now that ANFTD is in a series! That is because I always planned to write off-shoots, prequels and potentially a sequel for it. I have a few in the works, but the character of Eden has very much taken hold of my heart, and I could not help but finish this one first.
> 
> I have actually not been able to write much for weeks but I knocked this out in 2 days!!! My brain is weird.
> 
> You will need to read Another Name for the Devil for any of this to make sense, so I recommend you start there!

Eden did not consider himself a sentimental man, but he supposed even the hardest of individuals was bound to give in to some amount of wistful recollection under the threat of imminent death.

Eden had sustained his fair share of injuries over the years. As a vampire hunter, his job was dangerous and difficult even under the best of circumstances. He had taken hunts as far as halfway across the globe and as close as his own living room—after his first base had been compromised and a target attempted to get the drop on him—a mistake he never repeated. Eden was no stranger to peril.

Eden was, however, adamantly opposed to dying.

Like many people, Eden had goals. Nothing so sentimental as starting a family or settling down, nothing even so modest as simply living out his later years in peace and solitude. No, Eden’s goal was a lofty one. 

He wanted to live to see utopia; a world where humans and vampires lived side-by-side in peace.

And not the uneasy peace that had been settled upon in the wake of the Human-Vampire Accords. Not this faux-truce which had bartered away the rights and freedoms of vampires to appease fearmongering zealots. No… Eden wanted to live to see a true paradise, where humans and vampires coexisted and enjoyed all the freedoms they deserved.

But it hardly seemed to him like that day would ever come.

Decades ago, he would have scoffed at the notion of such a thing. In the days when he had killed vampires indiscriminately, believing them all to be nothing but mindless predators, the idea would have offended him.

Until he met Park Seonghwa.

Everything changed, then.

Eden needed to see him, needed to go to him. He was the only one who understood what that dream meant to him, because it had been a goal they dreamt up _ together. _

He wasn’t far from Seongnam. The route was dark and familiar, his broken body protesting as he pushed his motorcycle around the sharp turns of the winding backroads. He could imagine how Seonghwa would scold him for pushing himself too hard, insisting he would have come for him had he only made the call. But Eden knew there was no place that all of this could end except for where it had begun: that stately mansion in rural Seongnam, that place Seonghwa and his coven called home. 

***

The first time Eden came across that mansion, the very night he had met Seonghwa, the circumstances had been very different.

Eden was tracking a bloodthirsty vampire that had left an entire family slaughtered in their home. He’d been a drug-runner, some low-life scum that saw vampirism as an opportunity to escape the life by giving him the power to defect without fear. But that lack of fear had warped into something sinister… a thirst for control, and eventually, a hunger for death.

Eden had seen plenty of vampire-related crime scenes in his day, but this had been one of the most sickening.

He managed to follow the vampire out of town, until the houses were sparse and woods were many. The vampire could easily lose him in the forest, but something told him he wouldn’t try. This guy was used to a certain lifestyle, and he’d effectively sold his soul to live it. It wasn’t likely that he would give up on his standards just yet. But just where _ would _ he go?

Eden’s question was answered when he came across what could only be described as a mansion. It was secluded, and massive, most of the windows shining with light. If the vampire managed to hole up in there, kill the family inside… it looked fairly defensible. Eden would have a hard time getting the drop on him.

That was his thought, however, until he saw _ another _ vampire standing just outside the front gate.

The mansion belonged to a _ vampire. _

Eden didn’t have much time to formulate a plan. He laid down his bike hard, unholstering the shotgun at his knee. The entirety of its rounds ended up easily dodged, ricocheting against the iron gate and sinking into the brick of the driveway entry. Eden tossed it aside, pulling out his crossbow. 

As a hunter, Eden’s worst enemy was not vampires, but stillness.

A vampire given a fraction of a second to act was dangerous. Eden knew well enough to keep moving, to keep fighting, to never relent until the target was dead. He knew that the moment his guard dropped, the moment he gave any quarter, that was the moment a vampire could strike him dead.

But this vampire… was not retaliating.

He only seemed to move away from the blows, tumbling along the path of the bolts as they soared past him harmlessly. Eden scowled.

There was a brief pause as his first drum of bolts ran dry, just the second or so it took for him to release it and slide the next into place, but that was all it took. The vampire used the opportunity to lunge forward, grabbing the crossbow and Eden’s wrist in an unyielding grip.

This vampire looked different from his target. He appeared younger, at least for his lack of human years, and his hair was black as pitch, falling just above his eyes to one side of his face.

The vampire regarded him with no cruelty in his expression or tone. “I am not the one you are seeking, hunter… though I suspect you already know as much.”

“A vampire’s a vampire.” Eden grunted, trying to wrench the weapon away from that iron grip, to no avail.

“If that were true, you would already be dead.” He replied, inclining his head.

Truthfully, Eden didn’t understand why he wasn’t.

“I am Park Seonghwa.”

Eden blinked. “Okay?”

“I thought that if I were expecting you to not think of me as an enemy, that perhaps it may help if you knew my name.” Said the vampire.

The hunter swallowed around gritted teeth, thinking to himself for a moment before finally answering. “Eden.”

“Ah, another name for utopia.” Seonghwa smiled genially, motioning his chin toward the property behind him. “This place is my own Eden, one could say. I spent such a long time searching for it… trying to find a paradise of my own, only to realize that something like that, it must be built.”

Eden squinted, the metaphor not lost on him. “This utopia of yours a sanctuary for murderous vampires, then? Are you harboring my target?”

“Certainly not.” Seonghwa answered, affronted.

There was a pregnant pause, the air between the two of them stagnating in the thick of battle. But a noise caught both of their attention, and before Eden could even react, Seonghwa was shoving him away as the hunter’s target leapt from the darkness, teeth and claws bared and aiming for Eden’s throat.

Seonghwa moved between them, snapping the other out of the air like it was nothing, his pale hand tightening around the assailant’s throat while the other gripped hard at one of his wrists.

Eden scrambled to his feet, retrieving his crossbow. Ensuring a bolt was loaded, he took aim, moving his crosshairs between the two of them, uncertain.

“Ah, I believe _ this _ was the vampire you were looking for.” He said calmly, glaring at the other. “My security system caught him lurking around outside, which is why I came out to investigate.”

“Please, I’m just… I’m just lookin’ for somewhere to escape this bastard!” The target blubbered as he struggled. “Smelled like some vampires were nearby, so I followed the scent—”

“And found yourself here, leading the hunter right to me.” Seonghwa said flatly. “Rather rude of you.”

“Between the two of us, we can take him down!” The target reasoned.

“Oh, I think not.” Seonghwa dismissed. “I have no intention of killing him.”

The target balked. “But this guy kills our kind!”

“And do you not kill _ his _kind?” Seonghwa asked, too calmly. “How many humans did you kill, to have him after your head?”

The other vampire choked. “I—I mean, we _ all _do—”

“I do not take human lives. No vampire worth their salt does.” Seonghwa said darkly. “Tell me, who turned you?”

“Fuck if I know his name, I just wanted the gift, you know?” The vampire hissed. “And I paid good money—”

“I’ve heard enough.” Eden spat. “That’s my mark. If you’re going to stand in my way, then—”

“Oh, by all means. He is yours to do with what you would.” Seonghwa replied dismissively, holding his arm out but keeping his grip on the other vampire. “I only fear what he may try to do to you once I release him.”

Eden raised an eyebrow. “If you think he deserves what I’m gonna do to him, then why not do it yourself?”

Seonghwa made an affronted noise, his face scrunching up in disgust. “Oh no, I’ve had quite enough of death and killing. I understand what you must do, and I will not stop you… but I will not do it for you.”

Eden regarded him for a moment, rolling his shoulders. “Fine, then. Let him go.”

Seonghwa did, then pointedly looked away.

The target fought back with desperation, begged Seonghwa for help… but the other vampire didn’t budge. Eden snarled at him that he had some nerve, after murdering an entire family, to ask for mercy.

Seonghwa did not move, even as Eden separated the other vampire’s head from his shoulders. Once the job was done, he turned back to the hunter.

“There’s nothing to be done about vampires like that.” He murmured regretfully. “Except that which you have already done.”

“Why didn’t you strike me down?” Eden asked, too abruptly. “I attacked you, so why didn’t you retaliate?”

“I do not kill humans.” Seonghwa answered, easy as anything. “And I try not to kill vampires, either. I am… very tired of the loss of life.”

“I’m a hunter. I pose a threat to you, I know where you live. And you’re telling me you’d just let me walk away?” Eden snapped, incredulous.

“I cannot say I have ever met a hunter before. I have blessedly avoided your kind for nearly a thousand years.” Seonghwa told him. “You would not be the first to have attempted to bring me harm, however. And I suspect you will not be the last. I do not foresee you being any more successful than the others have, in that regard.”

“I can’t tell if you’re threatening me through all that politeness.” Eden quipped, holstering his crossbow.

“I am not. But I would ask that you, perhaps, take a moment to understand that, like humans, vampires vary greatly in personality and morals. I do not feel that any creature is deserving of a death sentence simply because of what they are.” Seonghwa replied calmly.

Eden scoffed. “Anyone who’s killed someone does.”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow at him. “Tell me, do you put down killers of the human persuasion with the same conviction?”

Eden scowled. “No, it’s different. There’s a justice system in place where everyone receives a fair trial—”

“Except vampires.” Seonghwa corrected cheekily.

“Vampires aren’t people.” Eden bit back.

“We are not _ humans. _Though we were, once. Each and every one of us.” Seonghwa replied. “What makes a person? A beating heart? The capacity for language and deep thought? Self-awareness? Why is a vampire not a person?”

Eden didn’t know how to answer that.

Eden had never bothered thinking about it, if he was being honest.

Seonghwa took his silence as answer enough, clapping his hands together. “Well, then… if you have concluded with your hunt, surely you must be famished. You are welcome to come in. I have quite a selection of wine, beautifully aged, if that strikes your fancy.”

Eden could not possibly have understood in that moment why Seonghwa—a vampire—would have extended such an invitation to him. Perhaps it was due to his complete inability to comprehend such an action that he accepted.

Surely he’d gone mad. Surely he was a fool to trust a vampire, most especially one who claimed to be a _ thousand years old. _

But Seonghwa prepared food for him—he did not ask why a vampire would have food for humans readily available, for he was not certain he would like the answer—Seonghwa brought him wine, and they talked. Like humans. Like friends.

And when Seonghwa noticed that Eden had caught a rather nasty road rash from laying down his bike, Seonghwa offered to see to it. He regaled his history as a healer who began his training during the Goryeo era as he gingerly smoothed salve into the wound, then bandaged it just as carefully.

By the time he saw Eden back to his bike, waving him off with polite kindnesses, the world felt a little hazy in the wake of such a surreal encounter.

Eden had begun his day as a vampire hunter, and ended it as a vampire’s friend.

***

Eden stayed far from that mansion in Seongnam for a long while.

He pretended it did not exist, perhaps hoping that it would never find its way into his crosshairs. Some part of him hoped that he never crossed paths with Seonghwa again, because for a vampire to enter his purview, it was only under terrible circumstances.

After some months, though, he found himself back in Seongnam, tracking down another murderous vampire. This one was less brutal; just a sloppy feeder, taking blood with no self control and killing those he fed upon. It was something he saw often.

The vampire wasn’t strong, but he was nimble. Eden was loathe to admit just how much trouble he’d had subduing him, and his chest stung with the deep wounds that had been inflicted upon him.

Bleeding and a little delirious, he wasn’t sure exactly how he ended up at the front door of that mansion. Somehow, in the back of his mind, he knew that it was somewhere safe.

Seonghwa answered the door with a look of concern, regarding his bloody form.

“Eden… I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”

“Surprise.” He grunted humorlessly.

“Oh Eden… you’ve made quite a mess of yourself.” Seonghwa chided softly, shaking his head.

“Comes with the territory.” Eden grumbled, staggering across the threshold. Seonghwa moved forward to catch him, taking his weight easily.

He led him inside, taking him into a side room with an array of elegant furniture. The home was spotless, but it still looked… lived in. Homey.

“Are you here to ask me to heal you with my blood?” Seonghwa questioned as he brought him to one of the chairs.

“No. Just… needed a place to lay low and get bandaged up.” Eden grunted, settling himself into the seat. “You used to be a medic, didn’t you?”

“Healers, they called us… in those days. But yes.” Seonghwa replied, going to a nearby cabinet to retrieve some supplies. The room was fairly well-stocked with medical kits for a mansion where it was assumed that only vampires resided. _ A _vampire.

Eden wondered if Seonghwa truly did live in such a massive mansion all on his own.

Seonghwa worked quietly as he stitched the hunter up, cleaning the wounds and applying ointment before bandaging them tightly. He worked with care and perfect concentration, only looking up when his task was complete.

“Will you need a place to stay?” Seonghwa asked, sounding a little guarded. Eden shook his head.

“No, I’ll be fine from here.”

“Allow me, at least, to feed you before you go.” Seonghwa said, and Eden allowed it.

As he ate, Seonghwa returned after disappearing for a short while, sitting across from him.

“If you are to make a habit of this, I’ll ensure I am better prepared in the future.”

Eden cocked his head, a little confused. He’d seemed to have everything ready and waiting as it stood.

“Two kilometers to the northeast, there is a quarry. Find the stone archway covering an iron gate, and enter with this.” Seonghwa held up a rather antiquated-looking key, pressing it into his palm. “The tunnel it guards will lead you under the mansion. I will see to your treatment there, from now on.”

“Sick of me bleeding all over your nice wood floors already?” Eden asked with a smirk as he pocketed the key.

“Quite.” Seonghwa agreed, no humor in his tone.

Eden didn’t press the issue.

***

Eden took injuries often. Minor ones, usually. Even when they were _ not _ so minor, there were plenty of times he found himself clear across the country from Seongnam. He could not always rely upon the vampire for treatment.

But he did, often enough.

The next time he found himself bleeding profusely within the general proximity of Seongnam, he did as Seonghwa had asked and entered through the quarry gate. Eden had to assume this was an emergency exit, either for the daylight hours or in the case of an attack. There was a second gate which bore a lock that opened with the same key, and by the time he closed it behind him, Seonghwa was there, waiting.

“Hello, Eden.”

“Seonghwa.” Eden regarded with a wave of one blood-soaked hand.

“We really must stop meeting like this.” Seonghwa teased good-naturedly, motioning to a stone archway nearby. It led to a room not unlike an infirmary, well-lit and well stocked.

Eden took a seat on the table at the center of it, already shucking off his jacket. “Tell your vampire friends to quit trying to murder me, then.”

“I can assure you, would they do this to you, they are no friends of mine.” Seonghwa told him, rolling up the sleeves of his collared shirt to his elbows.

Eden had to believe that, most especially as he watched Seonghwa stitch his wounds with care, not even appearing to be perturbed when his crisp white shirt was marred with bloodstains.

“This one will scar badly.” Seonghwa commented softly as he finished laying the bandages. “Pushing yourself will only make it worse. Take a week or two off.”

“I’ll put in the request.” Eden bit back sardonically. Seonghwa just shrugged in ambivalence.

“You would not need to rest, were you to accept my blood.” He reminded the other, keeping his tone light. “But I understand your hesitance.”

Eden watched as the vampire washed his hands, his back turned to the hunter as though it was not the man’s entire life’s work to kill others like him. He didn’t fear Eden. More than that, he trusted him.

“Seonghwa—” The name was tumbling from his mouth before he could stop himself. The urgency in his tone must have been obvious, judging by the way the vampire turned immediately, shutting off the water and toweling off his hands.

“Yes?”

Eden wrestled with himself for a moment before letting out a slow breath, picking his words carefully. “There’s an… organization I work for.”

“I had assumed such.” Seonghwa admitted. “I imagine it would be difficult to get much done on your own.”

“Right.” Eden agreed. “It’s mostly a network… not too many hunters, but a lot of researchers. Political-types. And… scientists. Infer what you will.”

“I had always feared something like that may exist.” Seonghwa told him. “We… have councils of our own, in a sense. Not to the level you speak of, though. Our networks are small.”

“Listen.” Eden implored, his voice thready. “You didn’t hear this from me, but… I think they’re going public soon about the existence of vampires. It’s going to be all-out anarchy unless we have some well-spoken vampires out in the open to reason with the politicians and counter their propaganda, their hate campaigns.”

Seonghwa appeared to think on that for a moment before responding. “I see. Thank you for warning me.”

“Least I could do.” Eden said. “I figure I owe you.”

“Whatever debts you feel you have incurred… this has more than repaid them.” Seonghwa replied, but somehow, Eden didn’t feel that was the case.

***

Vampires went public with their own existence, first.

In doing so, they were able to take the helm of the narrative surrounding their existence, for a time. A collective of ancient vampires from around the globe led the charge, and among them was Park Seonghwa.

Eden had no doubt that his warning had been the reason behind the move. He felt as though he’d averted catastrophe, but there was still chaos. The U.N. scrambled to create the Accords, and vampires signed away their freedoms for the sake of peace.

Eden remained a hunter. There were more resources available to him, then… and he was able to work publically, out in the open.

When in Seongnam, he still ended up in that stone tunnel lurking beneath Seonghwa’s mansion.

“I was not sure if I would ever see you again.” Seonghwa admitted for the second time since they’d known each other, motioning to that familiar metal table.

“Well, hunters have great healthcare plans, now.” Eden replied cheekily as he sat. “But you’re still the only doctor I trust.”

“I’m flattered.” Seonghwa cooed, grinning at him. He tutted chidingly, however, when he looked over the other’s injuries.

Eden flinched when his arm was lifted too high, his shoulder protesting the action. He’d torn his rotator cuff three months prior, and it had never healed properly.

“Those wounds of yours are catching up to you, my friend.” Seonghwa said, shaking his head.

“I could go a few more rounds.” Eden countered, sniffing loudly like he always did after told a blatant lie.

“Not if you wish to keep your head.” Seonghwa countered. “There are plenty of hunters nowadays. You needn’t carry all of humanity’s burdens yourself, you know.”

“Old habits die hard.” Eden murmured, staring off into the middle distance as Seonghwa bandaged him up.

“I will admit, this is not what I imagined from vampires becoming public knowledge.” Seonghwa continued as he worked. “Legal slayings of vampires sanctioned by a singular organization with little by way of an appeals system, so many limits upon how our covens operate—”

“They’re public record, too.” Eden added, looking him in the eyes. “I always wondered if you were all alone here… but the coven registry says you aren’t. You were hiding them from me.”

“At first, yes.” Seonghwa replied. “But it soon became more about hiding _ you _ from _ them.” _

Eden let out a huff of a laugh. “Yeah, probably for the best. I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Of course.” Seonghwa drawled.

“How’ve they taken all of this?” Eden asked. “The… registration, the publicity?”

Seonghwa’s lips curled into a regretful frown. “As well as can be expected. They all… support the decisions I made, the compromises that we made to broker peace. But it is far from what they hoped for, what all of us hoped for.”

“Utopia.” Eden said in a tone both bitter and nostalgic. “That’s what we were aiming for, right? All those years ago?”

“Mm. Perhaps seeking utopia was too great of an ask.” Seonghwa sighed, wistful. “Perhaps an uneasy truce was all that could ever be reached.”

“Maybe that’s all human pride would ever allow for.” Eden grunted, looking away. His mind wandered with his gaze, and he thought of what his own pride had gotten him.

Nearly killed on several occasions, certainly.

A slew of permanent injuries, surely.

And the one time he let go of his pride, what had he gained?

A lifelong friend, in the form of Park Seonghwa—a vampire.

Eden let out a long, slow sigh. His pride had never done anything for him that made it worth holding onto. He could admit that now, if only to himself.

“Seonghwa?”

“Yes, Eden?”

“I’d like to accept your blood.” The hunter began. “But I have a few conditions.”

“Name them.” Seonghwa replied easily.

“Your coven still can’t know about me.”

“All right.” Seonghwa agreed.

“The Bureau can’t know, either.”

“A fair request.” Seonghwa conceded.

“Our relationship remains the same.”

“Very well.” Seonghwa nodded.

“Good.” Eden grunted. “If we’re in agreement, then.”

“If I may ask…” Seonghwa said slowly, inclining his head. “What made you change your mind?”

“I’m just tired.” Eden admitted in a weary voice. “I’m getting old.”

Seonghwa let out a peal of amused laughter, eyes crinkling. “Old? Do not speak to me of _ old. _You’re hardly an infant compared to me.”

“And yet here you are, looking to be in the prime of your youth.” Eden countered.

“Mm, it’s a curse.” Seonghwa replied wistfully.

Eden snorted. “Is it?”

“I… suppose it was, at one time.” Seonghwa replied thoughtfully, his gaze lingering in the space between reality and memory. Within seconds, he pulled himself back to the present, waving a dismissive hand. “But it hardly feels as such anymore.”

“At least now, you can give your true age and people will believe it.” Eden said with a smirk.

“Quite right.” Seonghwa agreed. After a moment, he lifted his own hand to his mouth, tearing open the flesh with his teeth. As the blood pooled in his palm, he held it out to Eden like an offering.

Eden took it.

He grabbed hold of Seonghwa’s wrist and latched his lips to the side of his hand, lapping up the blood. It did not taste like his own, like _ human _ blood… it tasted smokey and old— _ ancient— _like a fine, aged liquor. It burned down his throat just the same, impossibly warm.

Warmth spread throughout his entire body, and within moments, he could feel the effects. Breathing came easier. Movement, smoother. The injuries and aches he had grown so used to faded away, and for the first time in quite possibly a decade or more, he was completely free of pain.

Eden shuddered.

“Like taking off ten years, hm?” Seonghwa said knowingly, wiping his hand on a towel.

The first sound that came out of the hunter’s mouth was not unlike a startled moan. “I-It’s… quite the difference, yeah.”

“It will spoil you.” Seonghwa warned him kindly. “After a week, the effects will wear off… but your body is not dependent upon it, so you are welcome to return whenever you are in need of it.”

“A week? Can’t say I’ll be able to make it back _ that _ often.” Eden murmured, flexing his fingers and watching as they managed to hyperextend a little without excruciating pain for the first time in years.

“Well, don’t be a stranger.” Seonghwa told him warmly.

“Feels like that’s all I’ve ever been, since I took up this job.” Eden admitted. “Making acquaintances and meeting like ships passing in the night.”

“It sounds like a lonely existence.” Seonghwa said softly.

“So is eternal life, I imagine.” Eden replied with a meaningful look.

“Mm. I have lived a thousand years, and if there is one thing I have learned in that time, it is this: solitude is the bane of human and vampire alike. What one is capable of on one’s own varies greatly from what one is capable of when one is not alone.”

Eden gave him a look. “Is that your way of saying we should be friends?”

Seonghwa laughed. “I’m wounded. Do you not already consider us friends? I certainly did.”

“Fine, then… is this your way of saying we should _ remain _friends?”

Seonghwa smiled, resting a hand upon the hunter’s shoulder. “This is my way of saying that, no matter what, no matter how impossible it may seem… let us keep on seeking that utopia of ours, together.”

Eden could think of no more worthy cause to dedicate his life to, most especially alongside Seonghwa.

***

Eden had always wanted to find that utopia. Wanted to help _ found _ it, in the madness of his own hubris. He wanted to be there, wanted to have been there, been on the right side of history so that when all the schoolbooks and documentaries were made, he knew he could look upon them with pride, not shame.

But human lives were short, change was gradual, and Eden was running out of time.

He no longer entered Seonghwa’s home through the quarry gate. After years of distancing himself from Seonghwa, only allowing him to heal his wounds with his blood, and shunning even the barest of friendly gestures. Seonghwa had to have noticed the shift in his demeanor, but he never pushed. Eden had to wonder if Seonghwa knew why, if Seonghwa had realized that his feelings for the vampire had become a problem, that he had done everything in his power to stamp them down before they could cause him to do something reckless.

If Seonghwa knew, he never said a word.

Nowadays, however, things were different. He no longer had to hide. He entered through the front door like a _ guest, _and was often greeted as one by human and vampire alike. Whether it was Yunho or Jongho or San or even Seonghwa himself who received him, he was always welcomed warmly.

This time it was Yeosang who met him at the door, worry and panic marring his beautiful face when the smell of blood hit him, when Eden all but tumbled into the foyer, barely remaining on his feet.

“Seonghwa! Seonghwa, quickly—!”

Eden’s awareness faded in and out as the world around him spun. There was shouting, then someone calmly speaking, and a strong, sure grip. He knew he was in good hands.

“Keep Yunho and Jongho occupied.” Seonghwa’s gentle voice cut through the chaos, and then the world was spinning again.

When it finally settled, he was in the infirmary. Since their two humans had moved in, Seonghwa had repurposed an entire room into one, deeming it necessary after one too many injuries that vampire blood could not instantly heal away. Yunho’s forge was the usual culprit, but Jongho was known to gain a bad wound or two on a hunt as well.

Eden felt his focus fade back in as Seonghwa sat next to him. His breath wheezed through his teeth as his lungs struggled under the weight of his own blood. He felt like he was drowning.

“Are you with me, Eden?” Seonghwa asked, his voice as calm and gentle as ever. The hunter only managed a nod. “This is as bad as you’ve ever been. My blood cannot drain your lungs. You aren’t long for this world.”

“I kind of figured.” Eden grunted, choking on the liquid metal in his throat as he swallowed the urge to vomit. “We had a good run, though… didn’t we?”

“We did.” Seonghwa agreed, inclining his head. “Human and vampire working on opposite sides of the divide toward the same goal.”

“Utopia.” Eden scoffed almost bitterly.

“Utopia.” Seonghwa repeated wistfully. “It has not happened in my own lifetimes… so the chances that it would arrive in yours…”

“Bad odds.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well, it is what it is.” Eden said resignedly. “All we can do is our best… and all that positive shit, right?”

“Quite right.” Seonghwa’s eyes held the patience of a thousand years of living, and he nearly hid the melancholy in his caring smile.

Eden flinched on a stuttered inhale, trembling in the vampire’s hold. “So, then… got something you wanna ask me?”

“If you’re ready.” Seonghwa whispered, like a promise. Eden nodded. “Shall I heal you one last time, old friend?”

Eden swallowed, no longer trembling. “One last time.”

***

_ “Where is he?!” _

When Eden awoke, he was rudely treated to an earful of Hongjoong screaming at what must’ve been the top of his lungs. His new, sensitive hearing would take some getting used to.

“Calm down, Hongjoong.” Seonghwa’s placid, chiding voice floated in next. “He is recovering. As you’re well aware, it can be a long process.”

“I can’t believe he—when I wasn’t here? I should’ve been here!” Hongjoong’s manic tone was hell on his ears, and Eden pulled himself up off the bed purely out of spite.

Seonghwa, however, still sounded calm. “I understand how you feel, Hongjoong, but it could not have been helped.”

Hongjoong’s tone was thready, like he knew he was being unreasonable. “Still—”

“Please, my love. Give him time.” Seonghwa begged.

Eden walked into the room just as Hongjoong had surrendered to Seonghwa’s soothing charms, both of them startling a little.

“The only time I need is to get used to this upstart punk’s obnoxiously loud voice, now that my hearing’s dialed up to eleven.” Eden quipped.

Hongjoong scowled. “Hey, fuck you! I was worried!”

“Don’t be. I’m alive, aren’t I?” Eden replied. “And arguably better than ever. Now if I need to knock some sense into you, I can do it without breaking my hand.”

Hongjoong bristled. “Keep talking shit, see how far it gets you. You’ve been a vampire for like five minutes. I’ll kick your ass.”

“Bet.”

Seonghwa only sighed as he watched the two of them bicker. He was clearly having doubts that their rivalry was going to settle down any now that the both of them were vampires.

When the argument escalated to the point of Eden clocking Hongjoong straight across the jaw, Seonghwa surely knew with certainty.

***

The morning saw Hongjoong much more calm, settled in bed with Seonghwa without a stitch of clothing to be found amongst them. Seonghwa had foregone his habit of remaining dressed during moments of intimacy, at least when it came to Hongjoong.

“I am glad that you and Eden were able to work through this animosity that had built up between you two.” Seonghwa commented, pressing a chaste kiss to Hongjoong’s lips.

“Mm, me too.” Hongjoong murmured, returning the kiss with a slightly less chaste one of his own. “I kind of figured it all stemmed from how I’d acted after you first turned me. I really thought he was gonna punch me _ back then.” _

“I wanted to.” Eden admitted over Seonghwa’s shoulder, letting his hand slide up over his sire’s bare side as he mouthed almost absently at his neck “But I can tell you really don’t hold a grudge over it anymore, so it’s not fair for me to, either.”

“Now if only we could convince Seonghwa…” Hongjoong mumbled with a suggestive look toward the other, which earned him a sheepish glance.

Eden’s brow pinched together in confusion. “Does Seonghwa _ need _convincing?”

“I know, intrinsically, that Hongjoong has forgiven me.” Seonghwa assured.

“But…” Eden pressed.

“But his subconscious hasn’t caught up.” Hongjoong said. “He has, uh. Nightmares, sometimes.”

Eden bristled, diving over Seonghwa to pin Hongjoong to the mattress with his forearm to the other’s throat. “I _ told _ you his guilt would gnaw away at him you _ absolute _fucking moron, but you still—”

“Please do not fight again, especially on my account.” Seonghwa begged, tugging at Eden’s shoulders. “I am far too old for this.”

Eden leaned back on his haunches, glaring down at Hongjoong. “You’re lucky he’s so madly in love with you, or else I’d rip your spine out.”

“You know, this whole time, I thought you liked me.” Hongjoong griped. “I saw you as a mentor, or a big brother. And now you just curse me out and threaten me with physical violence—”

“You’re a big boy now, you can handle it.” Eden goaded, smirking. “Also, the whole ‘big brother’ thing is out. We’ve fucked. That bridge is crossed and burned.”

“Fair.” Hongjoong grunted in agreement. “Maybe instead of punching me next time you’re pissed about something, we could try talking it out. While naked. That worked well enough.”

“It did.” Eden said, though he was loathe to admit it.

Behind them, Seonghwa couldn’t help but laugh, and when Eden glanced back, he could see the elder vampire was watching them fondly.

It struck him, then, that this was what Seonghwa had meant… that it wasn’t enough to find a paradise of your own, that you had to build it.

Maybe he hadn’t seen his idea of it realized yet, not on a global scale. But Eden had found his own little slice of utopia, until the world was ready.

**Author's Note:**

> You may find me on Twitter and CC, @VermillionVamp


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